The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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When Caitlin McNeill and her friends couldn’t agree upon the color of a dress, she posted the innocuous photo, seeking the opinions of her Tumblr-sphere, but she never imagined what would happen next.

BuzzFeed kindly decided to help out by asking the world to settle the debate, and by Friday morning, it seemed you could mention the dress to any stranger on the street to be instantly met with a firm opinion that the dress is, in fact, white and gold black and blue.

Though this debate has thrusted remarkable truths scientists have known about our brains for decades into the spotlight, it has also shown us how even the most frivolous of topics could captivate billions of Internet users’ attention.

Now that the true color has been confirmed, here are some marketing lessons we can take away from #thedress that melted the Internet.

1. Perception is reality. It’s hard to accept that not everyone sees things the way you do, and this dress became the ambassador of that truth in just a few short days. It’s the same with the audience of any brand -- what each person perceives is their own reality. That decision of what a brand is, much like what color that dress is, is how they are going to choose to see it. It’s going to impact likeability, sales, business growth, and even other people’s opinions.

You likely heard about the data breach which cost the trust of more than 12 million loyal customers, in addition to $148 million last year. This is just one example where a once trendy and exciting place to shop is now struggling to regain the confidence of fans who’ve turned a cold shoulder, keeping a close watch on their bank statements.

2. We like mystery. Everyone likes a little mystery. Give your audience a seemingly simple riddle or puzzle and they will stop at nothing to solve it, if only for bragging rights. We’re curious beings, and the dress proves that curiosity can affect consumer behavior. Just look at the 850% sales increase Roman is experiencing on that particular dress design right now.